Clothesline cover



Jan. 29, 1963 H. D. BEREZA CLOTHESLINE COVER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 9, 1961 Jan. 29, 1963 H. D. BEREZA 3,075,648

CLOTHESLINE COVER Filed June 9, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. fi/EL 5 a. aseazo,

%%Wag Mam rates atent 3,075,648 Patented den. 29, 19 63 fine 3,975,648 'CLQTMSLINE CQVER Helen D. Bereza, 'RRZ, Wausaukee, Wis. Filed .Iune 9, 1961, Ser. No. 116,199 3 (Claims ((31. 211-180) This invention relates to a cover or shielding means and, more specifically, the instant invention pertains to a clothesline cover specifically designed to protect garments, bedding, and other objects normally suspended from a clothesline from rain, sleet, snow, dirt, dust and soot,

whilethe suspended articles are idrying. Thus,one of the primary'objects of this invention is to provide a clothesline cover to protect garments and other articles suspended therefrom, during the drying or airing thereof, from inclementweather conditions, dust, dirt, soot, and

other debris, the cover being formed of a lightweight Waterproof material.

Another object of this invention is to provide asdevice of the type described which is held out of contact with the articles suspended from a clothesline.

A further object of this invention is to prcvide a'device of the type described supra, which may be easily converted into a tent or other shelter.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a clothesline cover formed of a plastic or waterproof fabric material and which may be readily folded into a compact unit occupying a relatively small space.

This invention contemplates, as a still further-object thereof, the provision of a clothesline cover which is noncomplex in construction and assembly, inexpensive to manufacture, and which is durable in use.

Other and further objects and advantages of the instant invention will become more evident from a consideration of the following specification when read in conjunction with the annexed drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a clothesline cover constructed in accordance with the instant invention;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged detail cross-sectional view of the cover shown in FIGURE 1, FIGURE 2 being taken substantially on the vertical plane of line 2-2, looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged detail fragmentary cross sectional view, FIGURE 3 being taken substantially on the vertical plane of line 3-3 of FIGURE 2, looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged detail fragmentary crosssectional view, FIGURE 4 being taken substantially on the vertical plane of line 44 of FIGURE 3, looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged detail cross-sectional view illustrating a clothespin operatively engaging and holding an article on a clothesline;

FIGURE 6 illustrates, in perspective, the use of the clothesline cover as a tent or other analogous type of shelter;

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary perspective view of the underside of the clothesline cover;

FIGURE 8 is a fragmentary exploded perspective view of the clothesline cover; and

FIGURE 9 is a fragmentary top plan view illustrating the pattern from which this clothesline cover is constructed.

Referring now more specifically to the drawings, reference numeral 10 designates, in general, a clothesline cover constructed in accordance with the teachings of this invention. The cover It is designed to be extended over a plurality of horizontally-extending clotheslines assigned reference numeral 12. In a preferred embodiment, the cover 10 is formed of a plurality of elongated, substantially rectangular panels 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, and 24. The

number of panels will vary, of course, in accordance with the number of lines 12.

To precisely spell out the construction ofthis cover, reference will be made specifically to thepanels 20,22, and FIGURES 1, 4, 5, 7 and 8. In these:figur'e's,=it is seen that the opposed end-s ofeachpanel are reverted, as at 26, 28, and 30, '32,-and are secured as by stitching. At each end of each pair of adjacentpanels 20,"22, for example, the marginal edges thereof, are folded to form the abutting elements 34, 36 which are secured together by stitching, or other desirable means. Interposed between the elements 34, 36 and again at each end of each pair of adjacent panels is a'pocket 38 having a convoluted form.

Each pocket 38 includes a pair "of-oppositely=:disposed outer side walls 40, 42 and a pair Ofxlllllfil side walls 44, 46, the latter being joined at'their upper ends by a bight '48. The outer side Wall 40 connects with its :adjacent inner side wall via a bight portion 5i a'nd-ina similar manner, the outer side Wall 42 connects vwithitsadjacent inner side wall '46 through the bight 52. The ;pockets'38 are preferably sewn at their open ends, as is indicated at 54, to eifect a closure thereof. The upper edges of each of the outer side walls are reverted, as at 5'6, 5'8, and-are stitched at 60, 62 between the elements 34,36.

Intermediate the pockets 38 ateach end of each adjacent pair of panels is an elongated housing, generally designated by the reference numeral 64- (see FIGURES 5, 7 and 8). The housing 64 comprises an insert which includes an elongated inverted, substantially U"-shaped plastic member which,.in its operative position, is substantially upright, as is seen in FIGURES '5, 7.and'8. As such, the housing or insert '64comprises a pair of oppositely-disposed side walls 66, 68 connected at their respective upper ends by a bight portion 7 it. The lower ends of each of the side walls 66, 68 are folded to form outwardly-diverging fiaps 72, 74 which are connected by a line of stitching 76 to the elements 34, 36. The side walls 66, 68 are collapsible toward each other to an inoperative position wherein the same may be folded against an adja cent panel in the manner shown in FIGURE 6, and as is represented by reference numeral 64. To maintain this position, the side walls 68 and the panel adjacent thereto are furnished with the conventional snap fasteners 78, 80.

Loops or rings 82 are secured to the centermost one of the housings 64 to serve a purpose to be described.

Each of the panels 14 and 24 has secured thereto a bias tape 84 on their remotely-disposed longitudinallyextending marginal edges, and the panels and tapes have a plurality of longitudinally-extending spaced grommets 84' extending transversely therethrough which also serve a function to be described.

To prevent the side walls 14, 24 from flaring outwardly under wind pressures, or other adverse weather, their respective adjacent lower ends are connected together by tie cords 86 connected to the lower ends thereof.

FIGURE 9 illustrates the simplicity of the construction of the cover 10. As shown herein there is the depending panel 24 which is provided with hems or reverted marginal edge portions shown in broken lines, and designated by the reference numerals 30, 88. To the base or lower edge of the panel 24 is secured the bias tape 84 referred to above. interposed between the panel 24 and the panel 22 are the pockets 33 and the housing 64, each of which is shown as being formed of rectangular strips of material 99, 92. The strips 90 are folded on lines 94, 96 to provide the reverted portions 56, 58 of the pockets 38, and are again folded at 9'8, 160, 102 to form the bights 50. 52 and 48, respectively.

Each of the housings or inserts 64 is formed from the strip of material 92 and is folded on lines 104, 106 to 3 provide the flaps 72, 74, and is again folded at 108 to form the bight portion 70.

The clothesline cover 10 is adapted to be extended over i the clotheslines 12 in such a manner that the side walls. 44, 46 of the pockets 3S straddle the lines 12 and with each of the housings 64 opening downwardly on one of the lines, as is shown in FIGURE 5. The cover 1%, reference being made to FIGURE 4-, after once being placed in position on the lines 12 is detachably connected thereto by means of clothespins 110 which are inserted in the pockets 38 and extend over the bights 48 with the legs- 112, 114 disposed intermediate the pairs of outer and inner side walls 40, 44 and 42, 46, respectively. The individual housings 64 are unsnapped and raised to their elevated positions, as needed, the housings 64 being designed to accommodate the upper ends of other clothespins 110 (see FIGURE the legs 112', 114 which are superimposed over a garment or other article 116 being draped over one of the lines 12.

The cover has many practical uses aside and apart from a clothesline cover. For example, the same may be used as a play tent 118 supported on lines 12' and guyed to the ground by lines 1120' and anchoring pins 122 (see FIGURE 6). One of the respective ends of the lines 120 extend through selected ones of the grommets 84.

Additionally, the cover 10, if draped over a single line 12, will provide privacy in small yards in crowded areas, and several of the covers it), taken together, and colored, will serve as a suitable background for any occasion.

The rings or loops 82 provide means for connecting the cover 10 to a curtain rod for a shower curtain and also provide means for hanging the same for storage purposes.

Having described and illustrated two embodiments of this invention, it will be understood that the same are offered merely by way of example, and that this invention is to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A clothesline cover for extension over a plurality of laterally-spaced substantially parallel clotheslines comprising an elongated substantially rectangular sheet of water-impervious flexible material, said sheet including a plurality of elongated laterally-spaced housings disposed over and opening downwardly toward said clotheslines, means releasably securing said sheet on said clothes lines, and said sheet having a width suificient to overlie the remotely-disposed pair of clotheslines and to depend therefrom to form a pair of protective side panels.

2. A 'ol othesline cover for a plurality of elongated lat-erailysspaced and substantially parallel clotheslines comprising a plurality of elongated substantially rectangular panels formed of water-impervious flexible material, said panels being disposed in side-by-side relation, means connecting each adjacent pair of panels, a housing interposed between each adjacent pair of panels and connected thereto, each of said housings extending upwardly over one of said clothes lines, and means releasably connecting said panels at each end thereof with said clotheslines.

3. A clothesline cover as defined in claim 2, wherein said last-named means comprises a normally upright pocket having a pair of adjacent confronting inner walls and a pair of remotely-disposed outer walls, bight means connecting the upper ends of said inner walls, and bight means connecting the lower ends of each adjacent pair of inner and outer walls.

References (Iited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 578,691 Conant Mar. 9, 1897 2,407,959 Littlejohn Sept. 17, 1946 2,595,094- Niles Apr. 29, 1952 2,637,136 Mark May 5, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 649,95 8 Great Britain a Feb. 7, 1951 

1. A CLOTHESLINE COVER FOR EXTENSION OVER A PLURALITY OF LATERALLY-SPACED SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL CLOTHESLINES COMPRISING AN ELONGATED SUBSTANTIALLY RECTANGULAR SHEET OF WATER-IMPERVIOUS FLEXIBLE MATERIAL, SAID SHEET INCLUDING A PLURALITY OF ELONGATED LATERALLY-SPACED HOUSINGS DISPOSED OVER AND OPENING DOWNWARDLY TOWARD SAID CLOTHESLINES, MEANS RELEASABLY SECURING SAID SHEET ON SAID CLOTHES LINES, AND SAID SHEET HAVING A WIDTH SUFFICIENT TO OVERLIE THE RE- 